Marcus Sales has another shot to scrap the image that he isn't fast enough to play wide receiver in professional football.

Pro day runs Thursday afternoon at Manley Field House, where Sales and 12 other former Syracuse players are expected to participate in the pre-draft evaluation in front of NFL scouts, coaches and personnel.

If he can run that fast, he may get noticed, said Dan Shonka of Ourlads.com, and sneak into the late rounds of April's draft. He also must show consistency catching the ball in on-field drills.

If not?

"He's gonna be put in a stack of 100 guys," Shonka said.

Sales already worked out in front of NFL personnel during last month's Texas vs. The Nation Senior Bowl.

"I felt like I got open every time I ran a route," Sales said. "I might not have caught the ball, but I got separation. That's probably one of the best things I can do is making plays. Everybody says I'm not fast, but the thing they can't take away from me is I make plays."

It would be hard to disagree. He was second on the team with 62 catches and 882 receiving yards, and he led all players with eight touchdown grabs.

Still, that wasn't enough to earn an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, which is why Thursday has been circled on his calendar since finding out he wasn't going to Indy.

Draft certainties such as quarterback Ryan Nassib, offensive lineman Justin Pugh and safety Shamarko Thomas will generate the most buzz at Manley, but there may not be another single most important day for players like Sales, receiver Alec Lemon, defensive tackle Deon Goggins and defensive end Brandon Sharpe, looked at as fringe prospects who have to perform well in order to get drafted or even sign a rookie free agency contract and hope to latch on with a team.

Shonka on Sharpe: "He was just a guy that was real disruptive. We saw him not as a 4-3 end but as 3-4 outside linebacker. We can see him getting taken late depending on how his workout goes."

Shonka on Goggins: "The big thing with Goggins is you're talking about a position that's loaded this year. He's gonna have to be specialized. He's an undersized guy. He's close to 6-foot-1 and close to 270 (pounds). Where do you play him? He doesn't have the legs for the edge and some girth. He may sign as a free agent. Right now, he's a real long shot."

Shonka on Lemon: "He's a guy that obviously having an NFL caliber quarterback throwing to him was a positive, and I think he has to do something in the workout to kind of separate him from the rest of the receivers out there. He's a guy that's got the ability to make it to a camp and I think teams are looking at him more as a possession receiver right now because of the way he ran (at the combine). Usually 30-some receivers get drafted. He's right there."